BCB and Rhodes

Rhodes gets a reality check

Bangladesh Cricket Board’s newly appointed head-coach Steve Rhodes has been getting the taste of Asian cricket-culture as it appears that the board has returned to their old school of thoughts – dictating. According to BCB insiders, the Englishman is yet to digest it fully but he certainly looks to be getting well aware that board high-ups will make all the calls as far as the national team is concerned.

The unexpected poking of BCB high-ups in the past had already made them pay while working with other foreign coaches and one does not have to go too far as the memory of their previous head coach Chandika Hathurusingha is still very much vivid.

According to BCB sources, Hathurusingha decided to leave the post once the BCB high-ups had insisted him to include Mominul Haque in the Test squad against Australia after the Sri Lankan refused to pick him initially but was later forced to change his stance.

Though Rhodes is yet to receive such kind of harsh treatment, there are several instances that suggest it won’t take long for him to be treated in the same manner unless BCB change their stance drastically.

According to many, Bangladesh head-coach Steve Rhodes’ “honeymoon period” with the team has somewhat come to an end and the difference between the system in place in the country he is from and in the country he is working for, might take its toll on the Englishman.

When it comes to England’s cricket-culture, it’s the coach and the captain who are ensured maximum liberty in the decision-making process. It goes without saying that Rhodes, too, carries a similar mentality after spending so many years coaching in England’s county circuit.

However, in reality it was not the case as BCB holds a different approach in this regard as the board officials are often interested in exhibiting their knowledge of the game.

With each passing day, the true face of the game in this country is becoming clearer to the head-coach. For instance, Bangladesh do not have a very good record in Tests outside home so as the head-coach of the team, it wouldn’t be wrong if Rhodes shows interest in resolving the issue.

The former England cricketer had the first-hand experience of watching the Bangladesh team struggle in the Caribbean on his very first assignment as the Bangladesh team were all-out for 43 runs in the first innings of their maiden official game under the 54-year-old.

Rhodes wanted green wickets at home to test the Tigers but it appears that the concerned authorities were more conscious about Bangladesh’s recent record in their own backyard and want to prove the team’s domination on spinning wickets rather than experimenting on sporting wickets. While they should actually show the willingness to get the team out of their comfort zone in order to improve, they are actually taking pride in defeating teams like Australia and England by pushing them out of their comfort zone.

Bangladesh will tour New Zealand after hosting Zimbabwe and West Indies for a total of four Test matches. And maybe, just maybe, the team might be seen putting up another disgraceful string of performances.

Rhodes has already experienced how the authorities function when Soumya Sarkar and Imrul Kayes were included in the team without the knowledge of the captain, the coach, or even the chief selector.

In hindsight, Imrul’s inclusion might have paid off, but it does reflect the magnitude of helplessness of people who should definitely not be the ones portrayed as such.

Rhodes always wanted Nazmul Hossain to get a place in the final but when he tried to put forward his intention before the BCB president it was knocked out without any proper explanation.

“Yes he wanted Nazmul but it was changed later,” said an official, who preferred to remain anonymous.

So, the success of Mehidy and Liton as opening pair might look like it was a master stroke but in reality it did not follow a proper process.